Triads (Shadowrun)
The Triads are one of the great powers in the late 21st century setting in the cyberpunk fantasy world of the Shadowrun roleplaying game. History Triads (Heaven and Earth Society) is the oldest criminal organization in the world. It's an organization that is almost twice as old the Sicilian Mafia, nearly 400 years. In those centuries, many of the Triads were destroyed by the imperial forces of China, revolutionaries, rival Triads, invaders, and so on. Many new Triads were created during those same centuries. Two of the current Triads are centuries old, the Red Dragon Triad and the White Lotus Triad. The story of the Triads begins with the Shaolin monks of a monastery who fought for the Ching dynasty and defeated the enemies of the Manchu emperor in 1674. Fearing their abilities, either the Manchu emperor or his advisers ordered the imperial army to attack the monastery. It was destroyed and the monks were all slaughtered, except for 5 who survived. The Shaolin survivors vowed to avenge the temple and overthrow the Manchu rulers, and created 5 secret societies which would eventually become the Triads. Unfortunately, the Triads were unsuccessful. Though they did their best to subvert the Manchu rulers and even rose up against the Manchus, the Qing dynasty ruled till 1912. By then, the Heaven and Earth Society was an inseparable part of Chinese culture. Since being a subversive organization that is being hunted down by the emperor's soldiers requires that it have covert sources of financing, maintain secrecy, and be a morally flexible organization to survive, it was easy for the Triads to undergo the transition from patriotic revolutionaries to organized crime. Having lived for generations as outlaws it was not a big leap to becoming gangsters.. Imperial China was succeeded by the Republic of China, which had a hard time getting its feet on solid ground. It had to deal with warlords, a backward economy, poverty, European colonial powers, and the invading Japanese. Existential challenges for China, but for the Triads it was a golden opportunity, unlike anything they experienced before. The Triads took advantage of those chaotic times and both their membership and profits skyrocketed. Disaster struck in 1949, when the Communists won in the Civil War and began cracking down on the Triads. Some of the Triads relocated to Hong Kong and those that stayed in mainland China were forced to go deep underground and keep as low a profile as possible which caused membership to plummet and profits to take a nose dive for the mainland Triads. On the other hand the Triads that relocated thrived in Hong Kong, and so did the ones in Shanghai and Macao. They took over markets, establishing monopolies in both the legal and illicit markets. The People's Republic of China in the meantime crushed many a small Triad, but they were never able to eliminate the Triads as a whole. Heaven and Earth Society Of all the criminal organizations in the world, the Triads are the most flexible which has contributed to their longevity. As the world changes, it has been the Triads who have been best able to adapt. The Triads have an incredibly effective method of spreading to new territories, resulting that the Triads spread almost like a virus popping up in unexpected places. Not only do they spread to new cities and countries faster and easier than their rivals (Yakuza, Mafia, and Vory V Zakone), but they usually outnumber them too in territory that is new for the four of them. The Mafia for example may be able to deploy into the streets dozens or hundreds of soldiers and allies, but the Triad will likely be able to have a much larger presence on the street, perhaps vastly larger. Major Triads: 37 Members: 1,000,000 (minimum) The most ruthless crime syndicates on Earth are the Triads. It's influence is felt by many and it has extremely old traditions. The crimes of the Triads are especially brutal, and have been known to hack a target to pieces in broad daylight or slaughter a family as a warning to others. Compared to the Yakuza, the Mafia, and the Vory Z Zakone, the Triads are far more comfortable with magic and use it extensively. Leading the various Triads from behind the scenes, directly or indirectly is the Great Eastern Dragon, Lung. Unlike the Sicilian Mafia which has a council providing central leadership for its many clans, the Triads have no central authority and even some of the Triads lack any type of council. Which results in power struggles and succession wars that are brutal and bloody. When necessary though the Triads are capable of showing restraint or subtlety. Lacking a central leadership is part of the reason the Triads have more flexibility and therefore are far more able to adapt to new territories and therefore take them over. Mages are attracted to the Triads at a higher rate than rival crime syndicates, which gives the Triads an advantage when it comes to taking advantage of the Awakened drug market. Organization Triads vary greatly in how organized they are. Some Triads are loosely organized, more like coalitions of gangs. Other Triads have a structured hierarchy, with specified ranks and perhaps even a council or a board of directors. Numerical codes that are based on Chinese numerology are assigned to members to identify what rank they have. Members of a Triad are taught the centuries-old hand signals of the Triad and undergo initiation ritual based on Daoist and Buddhist traditions / beliefs which ends with a loyalty oath. Communication among Triad members may include the use of a numbered code. The Dragonheads (Triad leaders), usually lead a public life as a businessman running some type of small business, like a small restaurant. The idea is to keep a low profile, so though the Dragonhead may be one of the most powerful men in the city or perhaps even the country, most will keep that facade of humility. *At the top of the Triad hierarchy is the Shan Chu (Lodge Master / Dragonhead - 489). He or she has very little contact, if any with the rank and file members of the Triad. Dragonheads are quasi-legitimate businessmen. *In the level below, are the "483"s. The top ranked 483 is the Fu Shan Chu (Deputy Lodge Master, the top ranked 483) who manages the day-to-day operations of the Triad. Below him are two 483s of equal rank; the Heung Chu (Incense Master) who is in charge of enforcing the traditions of the Triad and is also a mage, and the Sin Fung (Guardian) who is in charge of recruiting. Last is the Sheung Fa (Double Flower), whom are the ones who establish new branches of the Triad. *Below the 483's are the Triad's officers. The military commander in charge of the gangs is the Hung Kwan (Red Pole, 426). In charge of all Matrix operations and the accounting is the Pak Tsz Sin (White Paper Fan, 415). The public face of the Triad who collects and pays the bribes and graft from the businesses and gangs is the Cho Hai (Grass Sandal, 425). *Last of all are the rank-n-file members, all of whom are Sze Kau (49). They are the soldiers of the Triad who provide security, act as muscle, run a business, supervise a safehouse, or work as hitmen for the Triad. Activities During the chaotic years following the collapse and fragmentation of China in the early 21st century, the Triads experienced another golden age. They took advantage of the opportunities available to make a killing by selling technology, weapons, food, and whatever else the various warlords and desperate people needed. Under the direction of the dragon Lung, the Red Dragons used the profits they made to build up their criminal enterprises and expand outside of China. While many Triads went forth to conquer new territories, the Red Dragons have been the most ambitious and most successful, expanding their criminal empire throughout the Pacific Rim. Triads have their fingers in numerous illicit markets, as well as legitimate sectors of the economy. The trade in opiates and Awakened drugs from the Golden Triangle is mostly in their hands. In addition they control most of the trade in "Better Than Life" simsense chips. Gambling, prostitution, human trafficking, the manufacturing of counterfeit goods, data brokerage, identity theft, the smuggling of legal and illicit goods, people smuggling, and theft of online banking accounts are all criminal enterprises in which the Triads are involved. In both China and Hong Kong, the Triads have a stranglehold on crime with few if any competitors. They are the biggest and most powerful players in the underworlds of Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, Cambodia, Macau, Taiwan, and the United Kingdom. In the region of Southeast Asia, the Big 3 Triads (Red Dragons, Smoke Circle, and Black Chrysanthemum) are the dominant crime syndicates with criminal empires that extend throughout the region. The Triads are the second strongest criminal network in Australia after the Australian Mafia and the Red Dragon Triad is the only foreign syndicate with a nationwide presence in Japan. They have strongholds in Canada, the United States, the Russian Far East, and Muslim Central Asia. Footholds that are growing in Europe and Latin America. When it comes to protection rackets, the Triads unlike most other crime syndicates actually do protect those who have made protection payments. If a gang, another crime syndicate, or even a corporation threatens or attacks the business of someone under the protection of the Triad there will be a response. The Triad will retaliate with either overwhelming force or by using magic. When it comes to taking over a new territory, the Triads are willing to use brutality and excessive violence to shock and awe rivals, deter future enemies, and intimidate the populace. Once they have established control, their soldiers will actually patrol the territory in a visible manner to deter others. Cross the Triad, and they may torture, mutilate, and/or kill you in a gruesome manner and then send a message to others as a warning (e.g. spreading the body parts down a neighborhood). Membership Recruitment is done via members' relatives, the various street gangs, and in the Chinatowns the Tongs. They will recruit not only Chinese but also non-Asians, not only humans but also metahumans, and not only men but also women. Despite this, there is still a hierarchy based on ethnicity and culture. It's the Han Chinese who dominate the Triads, both when it comes to positions of leadership and pure numbers. Usually they outrank Chinese of other ethnic groups, who in turn normally outrank other Asians. Westerners in the Triads usually rank below the Chinese. In the Triads, metahumans can be found holding positions of power or leadership, and occasionally women are in those positions. As women in the Triads are often magicians, that helps them advance up the ranks since the Triads favor the the magically Awakened. Within many of the Triads is another secret society, one for Han Chinese only which is worldwide and has members from different Triads. For practitioners of magic the Triads are also magical initiation groups. In fact, among crime syndicates the Triads have attracted a significantly higher than average number of Awakened compared to their rivals. When it comes to the rank and file, Triad soldiers are fanatically loyal to the Triad. Your average Triad soldier is willing to kill or die for the Triad or upon receiving an order from the Dragonhead, without asking questions. Unlike a Mafia or Yakuza soldier who is loyal to the syndicate because it's the smart move to make (until a cop manages to make them turn), a Triad soldier fears the retribution of the Triad far more than he does death. Secrecy Triads are incredibly difficult for law enforcement to infiltrate and its just as difficult to interrogate a Triad suspect. The reason for this are the magical oaths that are part of the initiation rituals. Break the loyalty oath, and the betrayer starts to experience violent physical reactions which often result in death. Secrecy and being subtle is valued in the Triads, so a lot of members keep their membership in a Triad a secret. Law enforcement suspects that the Triads have secret languages based on hand and facial gestures. Triad Philosophy Despite being a violent criminal society, Triads are influenced by Daoism, Confucianism, and Buddhism. Therefore they believe that you need to be in harmony with both heaven and earth. Which leads to the Triads believing that they are a philanthropic organization. Where there is war, the Triad makes sure that the refugees get the supplies they need, even entering the war zone. Naturally, they make sure they make a profit doing so. If it's a totalitarian state whic is oppressing the people, the Triads will assist in the formation of the resistance or rebellion, and give it the funding and arms it needs. Though they will make sure that the Triad is one of those who benefits in the aftermath. Not all Triad members are criminals, many SINers who are law-abiding are also members of the Triads. All members of a Triad are seen as part of the same family. Magic Due to the Triads' mystical traditions and rituals they had been following for centuries, when magic returned in 2011, it was the Triads which were best prepared for the Sixth World. They were the first syndicate to grasp the meaning of magic, the first among the criminal organizations to use magic, the ones that use it the most, and the syndicate that uses magic in the most sophisticated and subtle ways. Because of that the Triads have a death grip on China's underworld and the Golden Triangle. Apart from the fact that the Triads have numerical superiority, the other advantage they have over their rivals is magic. Cyberware The soldiers of the Triads use augmentation (cyberware and/or bioware) and implants as heavily as the soldiers of the Yakuza or the Mafia. Triads for the most part will accept into their organizations those who are augmented, though a few Triads will not initiate the augmented. If you have cyberware it's when it comes to advancing up the ranks where you are at a disadvantage. Those who are augmented do rise up the ranks reaching the highest positions in the Triad, but most Triads favor the Awakened (magicians and adepts) over the augmented, therefore someone who is augmented is going to have to work much harder than someone who is Awakened to climb the proverbial ladder up the Triad. Shadowrunners Triads see shadowrunners as an asset to be hired and used when needed. They don't see them as superstars nor do they hate them. Shadowrunners are just mercenaries who get hired to do a job and if they do it they get paid, end of story. They don't look down on them like the Yakuza or look up to them like the Vory V Zakone. Shadowrunners won't get betrayed by the Triads, but if they betray the Triad they can expect retaliation via magic that is subtle and powerful. Triads will often help the shadowrunners by either creating a diversion or sending their men as backup. Major Triads *'Red Dragon Association:' Under the direct control of the Great Eastern Dragon, Lung. Based in Hong Kong, it's the largest and most powerful of the Triads. It's criminal empire extends throughout China and Southeast Asia. With strongholds in Australia, Japan, the United States, and Canada. Footholds in Europe and South America. *'White Lotus Society:' Centuries-old rival of the Red Dragons. A major power in the underworld in China's mainland. *'Smoke Circle Society:' Based in Hong Kong, it's criminal empire extends throughout Southeast Asia and its human trafficking tentacles reach all across Asia. *'Black Chrysanthemum:' Based in Macao, it's criminal empire extends throughout Southeast Asia and across southern China. *'Hai San:' Based in the city-state of Singapore, it's criminal empire extends throughout Southeast Asia. *'Silent Reeds Tong:' Based in London, it dominates the criminal underworld in the United Kingdom. *'Yellow Lotus:' Based in the Seattle sprawl, battling with the Yakuza and Mafia for control of its underworld. *'Sapphire Crane Society:' Based in the Los Angeles sprawl, battling the Mafia and Native American Koshari for control of its underworld. *'Big Circle Society:' Based in the New York sprawl, battling the Korean Mob and the Mafia for control of its underworld. Gallery Triads,_Updated_Map_II_(modified_a_map_from_Shadowhelix).png|Triads (Nations with Triads or their branches) Triads_(Stolen_Souls).png|Triad Ork, New York (Shadowrun, Stolen Souls) Master_Wu_(Boardroom_Backstabs,_Battle_of_Manhattan).png|Master Wu, Red Dragon Elf & Mage (Shadowrun, Boardroom Backstabs - Battle of Manhattan) Shadowrun_-_Zarah_(Boardroom_Backstabs,_Battle_of_Manhattan).png|Zarah, Red Dragon Troll & Technomancer (Shadowroom, Backroom Backstabs - Battle of Manhattan) William_Xian_(Boardroom_Backstabs,_Battle_of_Manhattan).png|William Xian, Red Dragon Physical Adept (Shadowrun, Boardroom Backstabs - Battle of Manhattan) Lung_the_Great_Eastern_Dragon_(Shadowrun,_Dragons_of_the_Sixth_World).png|Lung the Great Eastern Dragon & Triad Overlord (Shadowrun, Dragons of the Sixth World) Triads_(Shadowrun,_Mob_War).png|Triad in Mob War (Shadowrun, Mob War) Triads_(Shadowrun,_Underworld).png|Triad Member (Shadowrun, Underworld) Category: Criminals Category: Organizations Category: Crime Lord Category: Weapons Dealer Category: Gangs Category: Wealthy Category: Drug Dealers Category: Smugglers Category: Blackmailers Category: Mobsters Category: Gangsters Category: Murderer Category: Conspirators Category: Magic Category: Mechanically Modified Category: Video Game Villains Category:Pimps Category:Gamebooks Villains Category:Book Villains Category:Science Fantasy Villains Category:Science Fiction Villains Category:Corrupting Influence